Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast with the latest on the coaching search, the loss of OL Carmen Bricillio, more
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 Hey everybody, this is Hondo Carpenter from Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation Las Vegas
00:06 Raiders Insider Podcast.
00:08 I'm a different place up here in the North Country on a hunting trip.
00:14 You can see behind me they got several, several inches of snow with about another 21 coming
00:20 or so.
00:21 It's going to be really, really deep and lots of fun out here.
00:26 And I'll tell you, as soon as he saw the picture, this guy, my assistant beat writer, Zeke Trezevant
00:31 said, "Oh, I couldn't do it.
00:33 I just couldn't do it."
00:34 So Zeke, welcome to the podcast.
00:36 It's great to have you.
00:37 I'm used to being a little bit more warm than I am tonight.
00:40 Yes, sir.
00:41 Good to be back, man.
00:42 I know you're going to have fun up North.
00:44 It's going to be good.
00:45 It's going to be a good hunt trip.
00:47 You know you married a good girl when she asked for Christmas, a new hunting rifle and
00:53 a hunting trip.
00:54 Hey, you wanted life.
00:56 You wanted life.
00:57 And a full camouflage pink, a full pink camouflage Arctic hunting gear.
01:04 Oh, yeah.
01:05 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:06 That's a good one.
01:08 I got a good one there.
01:09 All right, buddy.
01:10 Lots to talk about with the Raiders.
01:12 A lot.
01:13 First, let's start with Carmen Bracillo, who absolutely performed admirably the last two
01:21 seasons as the offensive line coach for the Las Vegas Raiders.
01:26 Got so much out of that group.
01:28 Such a great coach.
01:29 We called him Josh McDaniel's secret weapon, and he was.
01:35 Just continually, I know that someone said today, I saw, they said they heard a rumor,
01:42 him and AP got along great.
01:44 In fact, he wouldn't have gotten the Giants job without AP's blessing.
01:49 But you don't ask guys to sit around and wait to see who's going to be the coach.
01:53 You've got a family to take care of and they take the job.
01:57 Someone said to me, was this AP telling him, I don't want you?
02:01 No, that was not what it was.
02:03 It's AP telling him, I don't know if I'm getting the job.
02:07 So if you've got a chance to go take one, I understand.
02:11 And he went and he did that.
02:13 So good for him.
02:14 Good for Carmen.
02:16 I think it's not a good day for the Raiders.
02:19 He's a terrific, terrific offensive line coach.
02:22 I know that you liked him.
02:24 I not only liked him as a coach, as a friend, away from football, I care about him and his
02:31 family.
02:32 Tremendous loss for the Raiders.
02:34 Now, there's a lot of great coaches that want to come coach with AP.
02:38 So he's not going to have a problem getting a good offensive line coach.
02:42 But this is the guy that stability.
02:44 He's been there two years.
02:45 Your offensive line already likes him.
02:47 He's proven the ability to develop talent.
02:51 It's a loss for the Raiders.
02:52 It's not one that is insurmountable, but a big loss.
02:54 Your thoughts?
02:55 100%.
02:56 He's definitely one of the better coaches.
02:58 I think you look at the last two seasons.
03:00 Obviously, last year, Jacobs led the league in rushing.
03:03 You can't do that without a great offensive line.
03:05 And the offensive line doesn't perform that well if they're not being coached up.
03:08 But I think he may have done even more of an admirable job this past season, the one
03:12 that just ended, because everything wasn't perfect.
03:15 There was some hiccups that you had to get through.
03:17 You got a rookie quarterback for half the season, a new coach come in halfway through,
03:20 and to be able to still...
03:22 If you remember when Josh Jacobs went down with that injury, he was, I want to say, top
03:26 five in terms of running backs and yardage.
03:28 Again, going back to the offensive line.
03:30 So Bracillo did a great job.
03:32 And to your point, right?
03:34 The job for AP is up in the air.
03:36 Nobody really knows what's going to happen, when it's going to happen.
03:39 So if the coordinator has a job opportunity elsewhere, he owes it to himself and to his
03:44 family to pursue that.
03:46 It's a business for the players.
03:47 It's a business for the coaches as well.
03:48 - Well, and the thing that gets me is, I put this out on Twitter the other day, it's silly
03:53 season and don't send me all your questions.
03:57 Just read what we report.
03:59 I don't want...
04:00 Hondo, what about this?
04:01 Hondo, I saw...
04:02 Just stop.
04:03 We report, and you go off and make your own opinion, because I'm looking on social media.
04:07 I had people send me the emails.
04:09 I just didn't read them.
04:10 I just delete them.
04:11 You know, he left because AP was not pleased with his performance.
04:18 He wouldn't have got the Giants job without AP.
04:21 - Yeah, it's the Giants.
04:23 I can see maybe another team, then you can kind of make that statement.
04:26 But we're talking about the team that AP won a Super Bowl with.
04:29 Like, you don't think they caught up AP?
04:30 You know?
04:31 - And the team that I reported the other day, if the Raiders move on from him, he's going
04:36 to be one of their top candidates for defensive coordinator.
04:39 And I said it before Wink Martindale, and even...
04:42 I mean...
04:43 - Yes.
04:44 Yes.
04:45 Listen, I kind of smiled when you said it, but it is silly season.
04:48 And a couple things.
04:50 Silly season started right after that last game, which it does for every team.
04:54 But I think silly season, it's a lot bigger of a season for the Raiders than most other
04:57 teams.
04:58 I've seen some crazy thoughts and things thrown out there as well.
05:01 So it's been interesting to see.
05:04 - I don't report on other people's reporting.
05:06 I'm too busy reporting.
05:08 And if you want to report on other people's reporting, that means you have nothing to
05:12 report.
05:13 Right?
05:14 I mean, let's just stick with what we're doing.
05:16 But a big loss, but not one that's insurmountable, because there are a lot of good coaches that
05:22 want to come coach for AP.
05:25 Let's talk about the nitty-gritty.
05:28 I don't expect anything before Tuesday, coming up in a few days.
05:38 Today's Friday.
05:39 Don't expect anything before Tuesday.
05:40 And I don't think anything will come Tuesday.
05:42 I'm just saying before Tuesday.
05:44 And I expect it to be done, you know, the 31st of January.
05:49 Someone asked me, do you think it's a big deal that they haven't requested anyone to
05:52 interview as head coaches?
05:56 No.
05:58 They're going to go hire the GM.
06:01 But in this situation, if it's Champ Kelly, we know he wants AP.
06:08 And if it's Jim Harbaugh, they're going to hire the GM that Jim wants, and then he's
06:12 going to hire Jim.
06:14 So I'm not at all even remotely, even remotely thinking that's a bad thing.
06:21 They're going to get whoever they want.
06:23 And Jim's going to pick his.
06:26 And if it's Champ, it's going to be AP.
06:28 I mean, now, someone asked me, do you think that Bill Belichick is an option?
06:33 What do you think, Z?
06:36 Bill Belichick coming back with Josh McDaniels?
06:39 Hey, it's funny.
06:41 It's funny.
06:42 You're like, what?
06:44 Listen, I definitely think it's between AP and Harbaugh, hands down.
06:49 But at the same time, I mean, come on.
06:52 The saying has been, Bill can't win without Tom.
06:54 And where's Tom at?
06:55 You know?
06:56 So at the end of the day, I know that their relationship was maybe not the best at the
07:00 end.
07:01 But at the same time, it's the NFL.
07:02 You can really never say never in a situation like this.
07:05 Do I think it's likely?
07:06 You can never say never, but we can say in a moment.
07:08 Yeah, exactly.
07:09 That's what I was going to say.
07:10 Or in the words of Jim Carrey, so you're saying there's a chance.
07:14 Yeah, there's a chance, but a very, very small one.
07:17 So I definitely think it's between AP and Harbaugh.
07:19 And then way, way, way down that list is Bill.
07:22 And I'm only saying that because of Tom's, his connection to the Raiders.
07:25 So I definitely think it's a two-man race right now.
07:28 Yeah, I think it's 40% AP, 39.5% to 40% Harbaugh, 15% Mike Vrabel, 5% others.
07:46 Harbaugh.
07:47 I mean, Gruden.
07:49 Yeah, I think that's fair.
07:52 But it's, yeah.
07:53 Anyways.
07:54 All right, moving along.
07:55 Let's talk about an issue that I think is very important.
08:02 And it's when you look at the Raiders organization, the players are literally begging and craving
08:13 stability.
08:15 The longer this goes out, do you think that benefits Champ and AP?
08:23 Or does it benefit Harbaugh or anyone else the longer it extends?
08:28 The longer it extends, I think, and this is actually a darn good question.
08:32 I think the longer it extends, off the top of my head, I think it benefits Harbaugh.
08:36 Because I feel like that says that they're trying to work a deal out.
08:40 If it, and then, because you got to look at AP's already been there, right?
08:43 I do think that they're going to do their due diligence.
08:45 I think even if the answer is AP, they're still going to talk to other people.
08:49 I think that's part of it.
08:50 So that's why I think, hey, the longer this goes, it benefits Harbaugh.
08:54 You already know what you have for the most part in AP.
08:57 Why would you want to draw it out a week or two or three or whatever it may be, right?
09:00 So I think it benefits Harbaugh if I had to guess.
09:02 All right, so I'm going to drop this out to you because I disagree with you.
09:06 I think it benefits AP and here's why.
09:10 Because if Harbaugh's your guy, you want to get to him as quick as you can so he can get
09:13 all his scouts and people in there for the draft and the combine coming up quick in February.
09:19 Because you already know, all right, I've got Champ in the building.
09:25 I got our scouts already working.
09:27 If we extend it out a little bit, we're okay.
09:29 Now what do you think that you heard my opinion?
09:31 I mean, it's just interesting to get different perspectives, isn't it?
09:34 Yeah, yeah, no, no, this is good.
09:36 So I would still, like in everything you said makes sense.
09:39 So I look at it like this, AP, right?
09:41 The fact that he's already in there, it's like, hey, he's already got all those things,
09:46 right?
09:47 So if he already has those things and it's still being drawn out, what's the wait for?
09:51 You know what I mean?
09:52 It's kind of like, why are we waiting?
09:54 Bingo.
09:55 That's a great point, Zeke.
09:56 Great point.
09:57 I'm telling you.
09:58 Yeah, that's, and again, like I said, this is a darn good question.
10:01 I think it's not, you know, it can go either way basically in terms of your question.
10:06 But I think the longer it goes, I think it benefits Harbaugh because I'm not sure how
10:10 many other teams Harbaugh would really want to go to outside of the Raiders.
10:14 I don't know.
10:15 That's what I'm saying.
10:16 But I feel like he's Raiders focus is where Harbaugh is right now.
10:21 So I think the longer it goes-
10:22 I think the Bears.
10:23 Yeah.
10:24 I think the Bears.
10:26 I don't think the Chargers would pay him.
10:28 I think they would give him the power that he wants.
10:32 I don't think they would give him the money because they've never done it, but they might.
10:36 Carolina, it's the richest owner in the NFL.
10:39 So there's always a potential there.
10:42 But yeah, I agree.
10:43 I think it's fascinating.
10:44 All right.
10:45 I want to go a little bit of a different direction.
10:53 You're in that locker room with me.
10:55 You and I talk to players on the record.
10:58 We talk to them off the record.
11:01 And they are adamant that they want AP.
11:10 And I had someone ask the other day, if you say you don't care what fans think, why do
11:16 you bring up fan opinion?
11:19 I thought that was a great comment.
11:20 And it wasn't a person being a jerk.
11:23 I thought it was a great comment because I think it's important to listen to your critics.
11:31 And I think it's important to listen to people that ask legitimate questions.
11:35 Now if somebody's a jerk about it, I just mute them.
11:39 Don't want to deal with you.
11:40 Get out of my life.
11:41 But if somebody asks it in a sincere tone, and I think because you want to listen to
11:46 people and because I think it's important to listen to people and to ascertain what
11:52 they're thinking.
11:53 That's how I know if, okay, we didn't explain this good enough.
11:56 If one person asks, maybe we did.
11:58 If two did, we better go back and re-explain it.
12:04 You and I have had players tell us, ask about AP.
12:08 I mean, asking us to do it.
12:11 So clearly we're not trying to force the issue when they're saying, hey, make sure you ask
12:14 about AP.
12:16 I don't think the average fan, I think they understand that the players want him.
12:22 I don't think the average fan understands how much they want him.
12:26 Do you agree with that?
12:27 Yeah, I think, I don't think most people understand that right from the outside looking in.
12:32 And I'll be honest with you, you know, I don't, I'm not sure how many people even in the room
12:37 really fully, fully, fully understand it.
12:39 And I'll tell you this, it hit me when Max, I think Max talked, I want to say the last
12:42 week of the season and he dropped a couple F bombs and which is normal for Max, but it
12:47 was the tone in which he said it.
12:49 Like, he's like, hey, I'm tired of the change.
12:51 There is, hey, we want this guy to be our head coach.
12:53 And then there is, we need this guy to be the head coach.
12:56 And that was kind of the feeling that I got from Max.
12:58 And if he feels that way, you already know a lot of the other guys who don't have the
13:01 voice that he has probably feels the same way.
13:04 So trust me, like you can't fake those guys wanting AP, how much they want AP.
13:11 You got guys that are about to be free agents that said, Hey, even if I'm not here next
13:14 year, I still hope AP gets the job.
13:17 Right.
13:18 Even if I don't play for the Raiders next year.
13:19 So what, like, what does that tell you about where the players stand that they're saying,
13:21 Hey, I could play for another team and I still hope AP gets it back here.
13:25 I think that says a lot in terms of how bad the locker room wants to play for him.
13:29 Yeah.
13:30 I think there's one thing to say, I want this guy.
13:36 There's another thing to say, we need him.
13:41 And I think there is a huge contingent of the Raiders organization.
13:48 That's tired of the drama, tired of the, the only thing that's consistent with the Raiders
13:55 is change, wanting there to be stability.
14:00 And I'm going to say it this way, and I want you to correct me if you disagree.
14:06 I laugh because people say you're not allowed to disagree with me.
14:09 How funny is that one?
14:10 They don't know us very well, do they?
14:14 Right.
14:16 To me, it is.
14:19 And I want to be careful.
14:20 I don't want to do hyperbole.
14:23 But it is almost a cry for help.
14:30 Hey, we're doing our job.
14:32 Just give us stability.
14:34 It's gone from, we want them with Rich.
14:38 Come on, man.
14:40 We need AP.
14:41 Overstatement or pretty accurate.
14:43 It's accurate.
14:44 And I'll take it a step further.
14:45 Like we just said, Hey, it's a difference between, between the player saying, Hey, I
14:48 want this coach and I need this coach.
14:50 I think there's a difference between players saying we want this coach and then them going
14:54 out on the field and showing you a completely different team underneath that same coach
14:57 than what they were before.
14:58 They showed it to you.
14:59 The proof is in the pudding.
15:00 They're not just talking.
15:01 It's not lip service.
15:02 Those guys, those football players went out there and played their butts off significantly
15:06 better underneath AP.
15:08 So I think that's why it's such a cry for help.
15:10 Right?
15:11 When you talk, the reason why Max is saying that is because Max is saying, Hey, I've given
15:14 you my verbal word of who I want.
15:16 And we've gone out on the field and performed and showed you.
15:19 What more can a football player do than those two things?
15:21 Right?
15:22 Like that's why it's such a cry for help.
15:24 Max is like, what else do I have to do?
15:26 Right?
15:27 We had those guys balled out underneath AP, right?
15:29 Five and four.
15:30 And then again, you think about that a Minnesota game could have easily been a Raiders victory,
15:34 right?
15:35 Like think about those two games or two or three games that they left on the field that
15:37 they could have won.
15:38 Even the indie game.
15:39 I feel like they could have won that game.
15:40 That doesn't happen underneath the previous coaching regime or anybody else that they
15:45 could have put in halfway through the season.
15:46 So I think that's where the cry for help is coming out is because they've spoken it verbally
15:51 and they have physically shown you that they will play better underneath AP as a player.
15:55 There's not much more they can do.
15:57 Yeah.
15:58 A hundred percent agree with you.
15:59 No argument from me.
16:00 Zeke.
16:01 All right.
16:02 Shift directions a little bit.
16:03 13th pick in the draft.
16:07 I think Aiden O'Connell has not shown us he's the next Ken Staber, but he's shown us he
16:14 has the potential to be pretty darn good.
16:17 The way he protected the football, the way that you saw AP saying, all right, don't take
16:24 these risks, our defense will win.
16:26 He did exactly what was asked of him.
16:30 I don't know if he's the next Ken Staber, but I also don't know that he's not.
16:38 Do you go spend pick 13 on a quarterback?
16:42 Do you go try to move up?
16:45 Or do you say, hey, there's going to be a lot of great quarterbacks later in this draft.
16:50 Let's keep plugging in pieces.
16:52 Let's keep getting guys because it's not like we have no quarterback.
16:58 The fans are surprised when I say this, but I think you would vouch for it.
17:02 It ain't a joke.
17:03 AP's on team A04.
17:06 He believes in Aiden O'Connell.
17:08 What would you do if you were the next GM of the Raiders?
17:11 I would definitely stay at 13.
17:14 Just because I think in this draft, you have what, maybe four quarterbacks just coming
17:18 off the top of my head.
17:19 I think you might have four to five quarterbacks that are legit, that are maybe even worth
17:23 moving up.
17:24 They're just so far away from that, that for them to trade into that area, you'd have to
17:29 trade a lot to get up to that.
17:31 Personally, I don't think the Raiders are that far off from being a playoff team.
17:35 There's no need for you to go trade.
17:37 We know now they're one game off.
17:38 Exactly.
17:39 There's no need for you to go trade multiple picks.
17:42 It would be a lot of picks to get to where they need to get, just because you missed
17:45 the playoffs.
17:46 Think about all they went through.
17:48 To miss the playoffs by one game, I think you're a little bit closer than what you may
17:53 realize.
17:54 I think they stand pat.
17:55 I think they go ahead and start to build around, whether it's Aiden, whoever it may be, I think
17:59 they're going to build around the quarterback position and then go from there.
18:03 I would hope that they don't trade up because I don't think they need to.
18:07 I think you and I would both agree, both of us would agree, that I would pick a quarterback
18:15 in this draft.
18:16 I'd pick one that had a little bit of mobility and let him compete with Aiden.
18:20 But there's some guys down after round one.
18:23 I think there's some guys that are being heralded as, "I can't miss."
18:28 The people around the NFL don't share those sentiments.
18:31 I agree.
18:33 Go back and step back and pick a little bit.
18:36 I know this, and I know this for a fact.
18:42 The reason the Raiders did is because they knew that the Denver Broncos and two other
18:48 teams were targeting him.
18:51 So they knew where they had to get him, where they got him.
18:55 He was a guy that, if he'd come out the year before, would have been a first-round draft
18:58 pick.
18:59 Again, neither one of us is saying he's the Kent Stabler of the future.
19:03 We're also saying he's done enough that you don't throw him away.
19:08 You go get another quarterback, let him compete with Aiden, but you also know they're not
19:14 a whole bunch of players away.
19:16 So at 13, if you can pick up a stud, you do that.
19:20 Now, I know you're pretty excited about this.
19:23 A former Super Bowl-winning champion quarterback who played in the NFL 12 years is going to
19:28 be coming on.
19:30 He now has a service where he rates every single draft-eligible quarterback.
19:37 Every one.
19:38 In over two or three podcasts, he's coming on to give our viewers the same information
19:46 the GMs get from him.
19:47 He's going to go over every single quarterback.
19:50 How cool is that going to be?
19:52 That's amazing.
19:54 Whenever you have a person or an entity that can give you those nuggets like that, you're
19:58 right.
19:59 That kind of nerdy information.
20:02 You got to think, like you said, a lot of people think that a quarterback is going to
20:05 be great or he's a can't-miss, and then they hit the NFL and it's like, how wrong could
20:09 we have been?
20:10 If you can get that insight before drafting a potential bust, that's so valuable.
20:15 Then it's even more valuable to those who don't necessarily have that information readily
20:19 available all the time.
20:21 That's going to be pretty cool.
20:24 Let's talk about Patrick Graham.
20:27 I remember, and I know you remember this, last offseason, I took a ton of criticism
20:33 because I talked about he was a great defensive coordinator.
20:36 A lot of people wanted to get rid of him.
20:38 I'm like, no, you don't get rid of him.
20:39 He's a good one.
20:41 He's a guy, I said, when the Raiders got him, was a potential head coach.
20:47 Now you've seen it all after two years.
20:50 The Raiders, of course, can block any lateral move, and he's a defensive coordinator.
20:57 He's getting some head coaching interview at Tennessee, but if he doesn't get a head
21:03 coaching job and AP's retained, I expect him to be back here.
21:08 How big of a deal is it for the Raiders to keep Patrick Graham?
21:14 I think outside of what they choose to do at the head coaching position, obviously,
21:21 I think there's one A and that's one B, honestly.
21:24 I've felt that way since Josh was still the head coach.
21:30 You got to look at everything that he had to deal with this year, not just coaching
21:33 up the defensive side, but playing on the other side of an offense that couldn't move
21:37 the ball, that couldn't score, that affects your defense.
21:39 I don't think a lot of people realize that or they don't put enough stock into that,
21:42 but when you don't know if your offense is going to be able to score any points at all
21:45 on game day and you still put out one of the best defenses in the National Football League,
21:50 that says a lot about your coach.
21:51 That says a lot about your defensive coordinator.
21:53 What I liked about what he did was it never mattered how good or bad Sunday went.
21:57 He kept the same demeanor, he coached the same, and he always challenged those guys
22:01 to get better.
22:02 I literally don't have the words to tell you how important it is to bring back Patrick
22:06 Graham and I felt that way for a long time.
22:09 I agree with you.
22:13 The only loss bigger than losing Patrick Graham, in my opinion, is to lose A.P.
22:19 Because Patrick Graham has a huge impact on one side of the ball, A.P. impacts the entire
22:24 part of the ball.
22:25 All right, I want to go to Mark and I want to talk to you about Mark Davis.
22:31 I have made it clear, this is a legacy defining hire.
22:35 If he goes and gets A.P. and A.P. fails, he gets to go bring in the next guy and everybody
22:39 loves him because he listened.
22:41 If he doesn't bring in A.P., it's two of the last two years he ignored his locker room
22:49 to go get who he wanted, who he got, better win.
22:53 I don't think enough is being talked, it is by us, but I don't think enough is being talked
22:58 nationally.
22:59 This is a monster decision for Mark Davis and his legacy.
23:04 Am I overstating it?
23:06 I think, again, this whole situation, right, when it comes to the Raiders, when it comes
23:10 to really any team, you have to look at the total picture, right?
23:13 This is so much bigger for Mark Davis than just this decision, right?
23:16 Because like you said, you got to go back and start looking at the history at that point.
23:19 And then you swing out, you swing and miss so many times after a while, you have to look
23:24 in the mirror and acknowledge that it's you that's the problem.
23:27 So when you look at the fact that he has the safe bet right there in house, right there,
23:33 and if you bypass that and you're wrong again, how do he has to expect for his stars to be
23:40 just as vocal as they're being about AP, you bring in another guy and he starts to lose.
23:45 Those guys are going to be equally as vocal about what in the world is going on here,
23:49 right?
23:50 Especially when you have a Max Crosby giving you those cries for help before the season
23:54 even ends.
23:55 They told you how they felt, they showed you how they felt.
23:57 You chose somebody else and you were wrong.
23:58 I promise you those guys in the locker room, they're going to let their feelings be known
24:01 if it goes downhill.
24:03 And if they choose someone else and it goes downhill, they're going to let it be known.
24:06 I talked about this the other day in an article I wrote my question answer article, but I
24:10 want to address it with you.
24:14 People have asked me if I thought Josh Jacobs will be back.
24:17 I think if Josh Jacobs, if Antonio Pierce is hired, it's a better chance than if they
24:23 bring in a different coach that Josh is back.
24:27 Your thoughts on that?
24:29 I think I agree with that as well.
24:31 With Josh, just like last season, I think it's going to come down obviously to the money,
24:35 right?
24:36 But at the same time, I think there's a lot of connection between him and the Raiders,
24:39 him and AP.
24:40 So I definitely think that has a lot to do with which way they decide to go.
24:43 Money and then who is the coach.
24:44 I think if they can figure out those two things and it is AP, I would lean towards Josh being
24:49 back.
24:50 They bring in another coach, Josh might, he might be the first casualty, honestly.
24:53 It can go either way.
24:55 I think Josh would want more money from a new coach and would take less to play for
25:01 AP.
25:02 Agreed.
25:03 Agreed.
25:04 A hundred percent.
25:05 All right.
25:06 So let's talk about a few others.
25:08 I don't think Hunter Renfroe will be back.
25:10 I think he'll be wearing black and gold next year for the Saints.
25:14 Your thoughts?
25:15 Yeah.
25:16 You know, that, you know, him getting back with Derek Carr and Gruden's down there, if
25:21 I'm not mistaken as well.
25:22 So yeah, I could definitely see him going down there and possibly reviving his career.
25:26 I think Hunter has a lot left in the tank, but I think we all agree that he's probably
25:30 done here in Las Vegas.
25:31 So, you know, he will definitely be moving on and I think his career is going to continue
25:36 elsewhere.
25:37 All right.
25:38 I want to talk to you about Adam Butler.
25:40 I think this guy is a key free agent that the Raiders need to resign.
25:45 I thought the defensive line was so good this year.
25:48 You want to get younger if you can, but you look at this defensive line, Adam Butler was
25:54 a stud.
25:55 Your thoughts on Adam Butler?
25:56 Adam Butler, he's one of those guys that is sneaky good, right?
26:00 He's one of those guys that, you know, he might not necessarily jump off.
26:03 He's not he's not a Max Crosby, but at the same time, he helps Max Crosby do, you know,
26:08 do what he does right.
26:09 Max benefits off of the other people on the interior line.
26:11 And Adam is one of those people that helps the interior line.
26:14 So I think he has to be back.
26:15 He wants to be back.
26:16 I think he deserves to be back, right?
26:19 Whether it's just for veteran presence, whether it's just for actual production, there's a
26:22 lot of reasons to bring him back next year.
26:24 So I think that's what the Raiders will end up doing for sure.
26:28 I want to ask you about in your mind, who are, is there any other big free agent on
26:36 the Raider team you think they've got to prioritize to resign?
26:40 I think that they have to resign.
26:45 Not necessarily.
26:46 I actually just checked, as you know, I just checked out the whole list outside.
26:49 I don't think there's anybody that you're like, hey, you absolutely have to bring this
26:53 guy back or it's doom and gloom.
26:55 Quick answer to you is I don't know.
26:56 So I don't I don't personally see that.
26:57 Are there some guys on that list that you're like, hey, you could probably use that guy?
27:01 Yes, 100%.
27:03 But guy that you can't live without?
27:05 I don't see that on that list.
27:07 No, sir.
27:08 Right.
27:09 Devontae wants to be here.
27:12 Everybody knows that.
27:14 He's a great guy.
27:16 The teammates love him.
27:18 He's a glue guy.
27:20 He's a hard worker.
27:22 All of it.
27:24 We also know Aaron Rodgers is the de facto general manager of the New York Jets.
27:31 If they offer something stupid for him, I do expect the Raiders to move him.
27:37 Here is my question.
27:39 We're not starting a controversy that he wants out because he doesn't.
27:44 But do you think Devontae Adams is wearing silver and gold, silver and black next year
27:51 when 2024 kicks off?
27:53 Yes.
27:54 Quick answer is yes.
27:55 I think he is.
27:56 But like you said, if the Jets come in or, you know, offer you something that's just
28:00 ridiculous.
28:01 And when I say ridiculous, a first round draft pick being included in there.
28:06 You would like as a GM, you have to consider that, right, especially as we just said, right.
28:10 You're not that far off from being in the playoffs.
28:12 Well, two first round draft picks next year or, you know, this year and maybe however
28:17 they decide, you know, change it up.
28:19 That's huge in terms of the future of the organization.
28:21 So outside of that, though, I think Devontae is going to be here next year.
28:25 All right, I'm going to give you my opinion.
28:28 If AP is the coach, 70/30, he's here next year because I think the Jets are going to
28:33 make an offer.
28:34 I just don't know if it's going to be big enough to get him.
28:36 Yeah.
28:37 AP is not the coach.
28:39 I'm 50/50.
28:40 Yeah.
28:41 Maybe 60/40, he's not here, huh?
28:44 I was about to say at that point, a new coach comes in.
28:48 Hey, you never know what can happen.
28:52 Yeah, especially if you can move him for a first rounder and another player.
28:59 It's going to be fascinating.
29:00 All right.
29:01 Last thing I have for you.
29:04 If a new coach comes in, it doesn't matter who it is.
29:08 Doesn't matter if it was Vrabel.
29:10 Doesn't matter if it was Harbaugh.
29:12 Doesn't matter if it was Gruden.
29:13 Doesn't matter if it was Jesus Christ himself.
29:17 There's going to be an element of a rebuild because you've got players that fit one system
29:22 and nobody coaches the exact same system.
29:24 If you keep AP, it's not the exact same system, but there's going to be tweaks to what they've
29:33 done and I think you're okay.
29:36 Here's my question.
29:38 I don't think I'm checking because I'm expecting a tweet any second that I may be able to talk
29:43 to you about.
29:44 Okay.
29:45 It is.
29:46 I'll talk to you about it in a minute.
29:49 It is something that I think needs to be discussed.
29:56 Raider Nation does not deserve a rebuild.
30:01 That would be an absolute dereliction of duties to rebuild this team.
30:07 You got to make some adjustments.
30:09 You got to add some more pieces.
30:10 They're not a Super Bowl team, but you don't got to go back and rebuild.
30:14 Am I wrong?
30:15 No.
30:16 I've said a couple of times even on this podcast that those guys aren't that far away.
30:22 The ball bounces a little bit differently this way.
30:24 They're the last team in the playoffs.
30:26 If they have a little bit more stability this year, a little bit better quarterback play,
30:29 they're in the playoffs this year.
30:31 I don't think you need to go and tear the whole thing down.
30:34 I think that would be a mistake as well and I think that benefits AP.
30:38 His cause in terms of becoming the coach is because if he stays there, you just got to
30:42 tweak it.
30:43 You just got to tweak it.
30:44 You got to plug and play basically at a couple of different positions and you're good to
30:47 go.
30:48 They're right there.
30:49 I think it would be a mistake to come in and say, "Hey, let's undo all the progress that
30:52 was made during this season."
30:54 As tough as this season was, progress was made.
30:56 The Raiders made some progress.
30:58 I feel like to go and undo all of that would be a mistake.
31:01 They're right there.
31:02 Just go plug in the holes, some on the offensive line, do what you need to do at quarterback
31:07 that you feel like you might need to do and go play ball.
31:09 Again, that's when you take into consideration a full offseason with the coach of AP and
31:15 learning everything that they've learned after already being with him.
31:18 They're right there knocking on the door.
31:20 No need to change it too much.
31:22 I agree.
31:24 Now my text, Sunday's podcast, you all don't want to miss it.
31:31 I've got a very well-known Division I college football coach coming on the pod.
31:39 He and I are going to share some Nick Saban memories.
31:41 Won't that be a fun podcast?
31:43 We're going to talk Raiders.
31:44 Yeah.
31:45 Don't worry.
31:46 He's got some connections to the Raiders, but it's going to be a fun podcast.
31:50 How shocked were you to see Nick Saban go?
31:52 I was not.
31:54 Shannon and I kind of maybe had an idea it was coming, but I'm just curious.
31:59 What did you think?
32:00 Obviously, the GOAT in terms of college football coaching.
32:04 I don't want to say necessarily I was shocked because being in the media, whenever a coach
32:11 speaks, I read what he says.
32:13 If you read what Saban has been saying in regards to the NIL, etc.
32:18 Recently, you can kind of read through what he was trying to say.
32:21 He was letting you know, "Hey, it's time for me to go," basically is how I read it.
32:25 He was saying how this is basically semi-pro football, etc.
32:29 Basically these are professionals playing college football is basically what he was
32:31 trying to get at.
32:32 That's just not what he had hung his hat on for 20 years.
32:38 I look at it like this, Coach K, Roy Williams in college basketball, once this NIL deal
32:43 kind of came through, those guys, it was the same thing.
32:46 It was just time to go.
32:47 He's done all he could do.
32:48 I wasn't shocked.
32:50 He's earned the right to go ahead and walk off, not at the top necessarily, but not too
32:54 far off from it.
32:56 Happy that it's that time for him.
32:58 He's earned retirement and hopefully he enjoys it.
33:04 Known Nick and Terry a long time.
33:08 This was his best coaching job, by far, what he did this year.
33:12 Now I'm going to ask you a question.
33:15 Do you expect him to ever coach a college team again?
33:19 Coach?
33:20 No, sir.
33:21 I agree.
33:23 Would you be shocked if he coached a pro team?
33:28 I would be absolutely shocked if he coached a pro team.
33:30 I would be, I think flabbergasted would be the word if he goes and coaches an NFL team.
33:36 Yes, sir.
33:39 I don't think it's imminent.
33:41 I don't even think it's a 50/50 chance, but I would not be shocked.
33:46 Lastly, I think the NCAA, I think all the division one schools should get together and
33:52 tell the NCAA, listen, we're done.
33:55 We're either breaking away from you or you're breaking everybody away from division one.
34:00 We want a czar who like baseball used to be able to make the best decisions for college
34:07 football.
34:08 We need a czar to run just division one college football.
34:12 I think you give that job to Nick Saban.
34:14 What do you think of that?
34:15 If there was one person that you wanted to give that to, yeah, I think Nick is definitely
34:20 the guy.
34:21 I can't think of another coaching entity or a college football entity that would deserve
34:27 that position more than Nick Saban.
34:29 So yeah, I definitely think that would make a lot of sense.
34:31 I think wherever he goes, it's going to be in some type of advisor role of some sort.
34:35 I definitely think that for sure.
34:37 All right, two more things, but when we're taping this, which is late Thursday night,
34:46 no decisions been made.
34:47 I believe the next coach at Alabama is going to be Mike Norvell.
34:51 Who do you think?
34:53 So wow.
34:54 I definitely think he has the highest odds of what I read recently, if I'm not mistaken,
35:01 or the best odds.
35:02 I've not seen that.
35:03 I'm up here with the black bears and the deer and the wolves.
35:08 I think he's a good option, but man, I want Lane Kiffin to take that job.
35:12 I'm sorry.
35:13 I'm going to listen.
35:14 I think Lane has been...
35:17 You never want to be the guy who follows the legend.
35:20 You want to be the guy who follows the guy who followed the legend.
35:24 So yeah, I think Norvell is a great choice, but I think just in terms of how he...
35:30 I feel like Lane has been gunning for the job.
35:32 There's been interviews where he literally has the same mannerisms as Saban, right?
35:36 And obviously he used to coach at Alabama as well.
35:39 So I think Lane will be able to recruit well there.
35:44 I think he will be able to compete well in terms of the SEC, which Norvell, even if he
35:50 might deserve a job, I'm just not sure he can compete in the SEC like a Lane Kiffin
35:53 would be able to with the resources Lane would get at Alabama.
35:57 I don't think Lane has ever had the resources he would get at Alabama.
36:01 And if you give him that, I think the sky's the limit for Lane.
36:05 All right, everybody.
36:07 He is Zeke Trezevant.
36:09 He's our assistant beat writer at Sports Illustrated's FAN Nation, Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast.
36:13 Remember you can follow me on IG @hondosr.
36:16 You can also find me on X, formerly known as Twitter @hondocarpenter.
36:20 View all of our articles when you go to si.com/nfl/raiders.
36:26 Also go to the top right-hand corner, hit newsletter, sign up.
36:30 It's completely free, 100% free.
36:33 We don't sell your information and we don't spam you.
36:36 Three days a week, you'll get an email with our biggest stories.
36:38 Never miss another big story again.
36:41 Check it out.
36:42 You're going to really love it.
36:43 It's going to mean a lot to you.
36:44 And then also don't forget if you want to just listen to our podcasts on Spotify or
36:48 Apple, because you don't want to look at my face, I don't blame you.
36:51 I don't like to either.
36:52 It's why I shower with the lights off.
36:54 You can go to Spotify or Apple.
36:56 And there also, I do a second podcast every day.
37:00 It's five to 10 minutes, riding with Hondo and Dexter.
37:04 Just a quick exclusive interview.
37:05 We'll see you all there.
37:06 Have a great night, everybody.
37:07 Thanks, Zeke.
37:08 Yes, sir.
37:09 Have a good one, guys.
37:09 guys.